Brett Aaron Aycock

Sgt. Brett Aaron Aycock, U.S. Army (Ret.), 33, left this worldly life on Tuesday, February 24, 2015. Brett was born June 7, 1981, in Oklahoma City, OK, to Nancy Grace Landes and the late Stephen Burney Aycock.

Brett was an Austinite since the age of four; he attended Hill Elementary, Murchison Middle School, Anderson High School and the University of Texas in Austin.

Brett never met a stranger and was a friend to all. He was a renaissance man. He was multi-talented and multi-faceted. He excelled at any endeavor he ever attempted. In high school, Brett was a on the varsity basketball team for the Anderson Trojans and enjoyed working with flowers at the Austin Flower Company. Later, while attending UT Austin, he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity and worked as bartender, manager, and security at various establishments on Austin's famous 6th Street. In 2003, Brett enlisted in the Army. Upon his return in June 2006, Brett dabbled in careers as varied as military consulting and acting in TV/film productions, managing of large construction projects, electrical engineering, and advocating for nonprofits supporting his fellow veterans. Among other things, he was also a 4 x 4 enthusiast, a canvas for art, a facial hair aficionado (and member of the Austin Facial Hair Club), an artist, a craftsman, a son, a brother, an uncle and a kind, sweet, funny, gracious, elegant, and generous soul.

Brett's greatest pride was his military service and being a member of the Reconnaissance/Scout Platoon, HHC, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment "The Rock." He received infantry training at Fort Benning, GA followed by Airborne school, Combat Life Savers and EMT training. His initial deployment was to South Korea, where he completed his Air Assault training, after which he was forwardly deployed to Kuwait and ultimately to Iraq in 2004.

While serving in Ramadi, Iraq, Brett was wounded in combat as a result of an enemy hand grenade on January 13, 2005. Subsequently, he was medically retired from the Army and forced to end his plans for a military career in Special Forces.

For his service, Brett was awarded the Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, and the Air Assault Badge.

Survivors include his mother, Nancy Landes of Austin, TX.; his grandmother, Edith "Puff" Aycock of Midland, TX.; his sisters and their spouses; Ashley and Chris Cannatti, Cedar Park, TX., and Nikki and Howard Slobodin, Burleson, TX.; and his niece and nephews, Natalya and Henry Slobodin, and Stephen Cannatti; and Brett's second family with whom he served, his fellow "Brothers in Arms."

Memorial services will be at 1 p.m., Tuesday, March 3, 2015, at Temple Beth Shalom, 7300 Hart Lane, Austin, Texas.

The location and date of Brett's final internment is pending at this time.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Brett's memory may be made to: Wounded Warrior Project, 4899 Belfort Rd., Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32256 or to: www.woundedwarriorproject.org, or to the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America www.iava.org.

"Only the dead have seen the end of war." – Plato

Ghost 3 Romeo…Out!